Dancing figures and natural elements merge in Jonathan Hateley’s elegant bronze sculptures — Colossal



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#bronze #Jonathan Hateley #nature #sculpture

Immersed in nature, female figures dance, reflect and rest Jonathan Hatleythe agile bronze sculptures of. The subjects communicate with their surroundings, waving to the sun or leaning in the wind and blending with foliage or lichen motifs. “I was drawn to creating a sculpture that reflected nature on the surface of the figure, which could be better highlighted with the use of colour,” he tells Colossal. « This has evolved over time from leaf shapes to fingerprints and from cherry blossoms to plant cells. »

Before starting an independent studio, Hateley worked for a commercial workshop that produced sculptures for television, stage and film, often on a short turnaround. Over time, he was drawn to slowing down and emphasizing experimentation, finding inspiration in regular walks in nature. Though he focused on the human figure for more than a decade, he initially resisted that style. “I started with wildlife, which started to evolve into organic forms with details illustrated on the sculptures,” he tells Colossal. Between 2010 and 2011, he completed a remarkable 365 day project of tiny bas-reliefs that were eventually composed on a kind of monolith.

“All From One” (2014), hand painted bronze product (edition of 9) and hand painted bronze resin (edition of 12), 111 x 71 x 40cm. Photo of Tea and morphine

Hateley initially began working with bronze using the cold cast method, also known as resin bronze, a process that involves mixing bronze powder and resin to create a kind of paint, then applying it inside a mold made with the original clay. module. This naturally led to foundry casting, or lost wax, in which an original sculpture can be reproduced in metal. The initial design and sculpting process can take up to four months from start to finish, followed by hand casting and finishing, which usually takes about three months to complete.

Right now, Hateley is working on a series based on a photo shoot with a West End dancer, a reference that helps him achieve the anatomical details of torsos and extended limbs. “The first of those sculptures has a figure reaching up, hopefully towards better times,” he says. « I saw it as a plant that grows from a seed and eventually flowers, (with) oblong cell-like shapes that gradually blend into circular reds and oranges. » And currently, he’s modeling a ballet pose in clay, evoking « a person in a calm, restful state, as if she were floating in a calm sea, thus becoming the sea. »

Hateley will work at Cheap art fair in Hong Kong with Linda Blackstone Gallery and will be included in Art & Soul TO The art gallery in Surrey and Summer exhibition 2023 TO Talos Art Gallery in Wiltshire from 1st to 30th June. He will also work with Pure to the Hampton Court Palace Gardens Festival from 3 to 10 July. Find out more about the artist websiteand continue Instagram for updates and peeks into his process.

Left: “Sunrise” (2019), hand painted bronze product (edition of 9) and hand painted bronze resin (edition of 12), 92 x 26 x 26 centimeters. Right: “Sunset” (2019), hand painted bronze product (edition of 9) and hand painted bronze resin (edition of 12), 56 x 28 x 20 centimeters. Photo by Graham Dash

“Beginnings” (2018), hand painted bronze product (edition of 9) and hand painted bronze resin (edition of 12), 97 x 59 x 19 centimeters. Photo by Steve Poole

“Formed” (2018), hand painted bronze product (edition of 9) and hand painted bronze resin (edition of 12), 56 x 39 x 16 centimeters

“Imprinted” (2020), hand painted bronze product (edition of 9) and hand painted bronze resin (edition of 12), 39 x 33 x 21 centimeters

“Moonlight” (2021), hand painted bronze product (edition of 9) and hand painted bronze resin (edition of 12), 83 x 59 x 20 centimeters

“Sleeping Stone” (2022), hand painted bronze product (edition of 9) and hand painted bronze resin (edition of 12), 17 x 37 x 17 centimeters

“Winter Facing” (2019), hand painted bronze product (edition of 9) and hand painted bronze resin (edition of 12), 48 x 32 x 20 centimeters

“Blighty” (2017), hand painted bronze product (edition of 9) and hand painted bronze resin (edition of 12), 44 x 47 x 15cm

#bronze #Jonathan Hateley #nature #sculpture

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